Council of Ages
The Council of Ages has been a constant in the realm of the vampire world. It is legend that the Council came to be when the first vampire lost his lust for blood but saw that many of his children did not. He became fearful that the blood lust had by his children would endanger their food supply by first laying waste firstly to humans, and then all living things, he selected ten of his most composed and tolerant children. With them, he created the Council of Ages and brought chaos to order in the vampire world. Modern day vampiric scholars argue this tale as fiction or at the very least romanticized exaggerations of what actually happened. It is true, however, that no date has been put to the original creation of the Council. All that is known for certain is that it predates Ancient Egypt. Records in magically hidden sections of the pyramids indicate a society much older than their own recorded history that holds domain over night demons which drain the lives from unmarried women and children. Egyptians credited Ra with the creation of such a society. According to their beliefs, shortly after Ra created everything, he foresaw the demons of the Netherworld inhabiting his own. To save himself from such a distraction, Ra summoned eleven demons and commanded them to hold domain over their own kind and create balance where there would otherwise be imbalance. __TOC__ Council Members Set forth in 5042 BC, the Council’s election process remained in place until 2000 AD, when the Council was nearly destroyed by Rothai. The rules for becoming a member of the council are as follow: *Only vampires categorized as Ancient can be considered as a candidate for the council. (exceptions have been made, however they were extremely rare. Since the near destruction of the Council in 2000, rules have had to be revised.) *This candidate has to get majority approval from the eleven members, none of which could choose to ‘pass’ on the decision. *Once chosen, it becomes a waiting game to see who is killed, chooses to end their existence, or relinquishes their seat. In 3197 BC, the Council strongly advised against the plotted murder of Council members as the situation would be looked into and any implications for the candidate would result in their ineligibility as the minimal punishment. Present Council members include: *Sarah *Paolo Anasetti (perspective) *Rurik Voronkov (perspective) *Lestat von Morina (perspective) Purpose of the Council The official purpose of the Council has changed some over time. Originally it was designed as a barrier between the vampire world and the human one, mainly to protect humanity from the hunger that plagues new vampires (and sometimes old ones too). While this remained a priority for the Council, the responsibility of protecting their own kind from wizard folk has become a competing top priority. Since the near-destruction of the Council, the primary goal of the only leader of the vampire community has been to reestablish the Council of Ages so that they could resume duties. History Not all of the Council’s history is filled with mystery and theory. The first records system the Council used was designed roughly around 6000 BC. Records were kept on linens and consisted of who the eleven council members were and what decrees were set forth for the vampire world. This system was deemed efficient until the Mesopotamian Civilization gave rise in 5000 BC. With humans developing more sophisticated ways to survive and use the land, awareness grew that they too needed to adapt. Developing more efficient forms of electing council members, the council also improved their record keeping and changed the laws that allowed them to govern over the vampire community. One of the most important laws that had been enacted by the Council was their right to form an army. From early on the Council feared their human counterparts as well as young vampires that resented authority. The result of this law would be felt in the world until modern times. Singling out a village located on the most western part of Macedonia and on the Adriatic Sea, the Council turned the entire village, sparing only the children, and buried them in the earth for three months. When these 251 vampires emerged, their eyes were sunken and skin a sallow white while they were bony and seemingly malnourished. Unlike their comrades, these vampires didn’t wake hungry, however they retained the advantages and disadvantages of any other vampire. Single minded and easily sated with small amounts of blood, these vampires were docile and easily controlled by the Council. Later, these iconic pale vampires would be known as Mediterranean vampires as homage to their ancestry. Over time these vampires grew in numbers, also able to reproduce like their vampire cousins, and demanded equal rights like the rest of vampire-kind. Forced to concede, the Council repealed their own law on the slavery of Mediterranean vampires and reluctantly allowed the growing population the freedom they desired, with the condition that a small number would remain as staff—not slaves—to the Council. Over time the Council retreated first to what is now modern day Romania, and then finally, in 197 BC, to Siberia, Russia. From here, the Council watched the growing magical community with interest. Eventually this interest turned into wariness and by 1340 AD, the Council of Ages decided that seclusion, ruling from afar, and any laws they enacted wouldn’t be enough to protect the vampire community should the wizarding world decide to destroy them. So, in 1350 AD, a plan was finalized by majority vote to combat magic, with magic. They decided that the best way to defend themselves was to create a witch who would have such pure blood and the best possible magical stock that she could conceive a child who would be the Council’s warrior and, by extension, all of vampire-kind. In 1398, the Council found the beginning the line, Ashanka, an Ethiopian child. Sixteen generations later, Sashenka Semenova was born and it was decided that her power as a witch and pure blood was the best possible concentration they could get and at the age of ten, was bonded to Rurik Voronkov to mother a child with him. Sashenka escaped the control of the Council when she was thirteen, thus thwarting their plans, This plan was one of many, however it was the primary plan by the Council as their main line of defense. Some other contingency plans included once again enslaving Mediterranean vampires and isolation of the majority of the vampire community to Siberia with the Council. Unbeknownst to the Council, the threat was not external, but internal to their kind. Rothai, an Ancient among Ancient, awoke from a forced slumber. After murdering her sleeping husband, she encountered a disenchanted Rurik Voronkov. Wishing to pay revenge on the Council, an institution which offended her on principle alone, Rothai and a less enthused Rurik murdered ten of the Council members in their Siberian fortress and all other staff and guests. Sarah, the only surviving member, wasn’t present and escaped the massacre. Now in 2001 and after the major threats to the vampire community have been eliminated, the only member of the Council of Ages, Sarah, has begun collecting Ancients for the purpose of reinstating the Council.